The King of Fighters series, the source material for 'The King of Fighters AFK', is a long-standing IP that has been cherished for over 30 years. It is easy to assume the grand history began with the first title, The King of Fighters '94, but when you dive into character narratives, things get complicated. Because it is an all-star style game featuring characters from various SNK titles, you often find yourself asking, 'Why on earth is he here?' when digging into their backgrounds.

The protagonist of this piece, 'Ryo Sakazaki', is exactly that kind of character. As the lead of the Art of Fighting series, he debuted in the first KOF title, '94. His defining trait? Being the 'eldest son of a poverty-stricken martial arts family.' While his assets are scarce, his 'meme' collection is arguably the richest in the series. He is that beloved. Let's hear the story behind why this man's smile—and his struggles—captivate us.

The tumultuous life of Ryo, the Kyokugenryu instructor

Wait! Let's clear up the Kyokugenryu family tree first

First, let's look back at his debut in Art of Fighting, released in 1992. It was the first fighting game to introduce a spirit gauge and super special moves. The 'Art of Fighting' refers to the 'Invincible Dragon' Ryo Sakazaki and his companion, the 'Strongest Tiger' Robert Garcia. Add Ryo's father, Takuma Sakazaki, and his sister, Yuri Sakazaki, and you have the Kyokugenryu family. Ryo holds the same rank as Robert: assistant instructor.

The family style originates from the Kyokugenryu Karate school founded by Takuma Sakazaki. The main dojo is located in South Town, USA—the same stage as the Fatal Fury series. This explains why the Sakazaki family members have Western-sounding names.

Kyokugenryu Karate is a famous school in both The King of Fighters and Garou: Mark of the Wolves. However, the portrayal differs; in KOF, the focus is on their comical poverty, while in Garou: Mark of the Wolves, Ryo has stepped back from the front lines, replaced by a new instructor. It seems the shift in the timeline accounts for the difference.

Ryo's relationships are mostly tied to Kyokugenryu. Robert is his friend, fellow disciple, and rival. Takuma is his respected master and father, though there is a palpable distance between them. Takuma is incredibly strict and stubborn, having taught Ryo—who naturally dislikes fighting—with an iron fist. Interestingly, recent stories show a role reversal between Ryo and Takuma, but more on that later.

One exception is King. While they were indifferent in the Art of Fighting days, a romantic subtext emerged in The King of Fighters. Since KOF 2000, other Kyokugenryu members have been scheming to set them up. Their romance takes centre stage from XI onwards; I highly recommend checking out the team endings for the Art of Fighting team in KOF XI and beyond on YouTube.

I have no choice but to use the Haoh Shokoken to save Yuri!

The Art of Fighting series spanned three titles. Ryo led the first two. The story kicks off with Yuri Sakazaki being kidnapped by the South Town villain Mr. Big. Ryo and Robert set out to find her, interrogating various thugs and gangs along the way. The game literally had you beating enemies to a pulp until they spilled the beans.

Ryo finally corners Mr. Big and turns him into a punching bag. After a good beating, Mr. Big seemingly finds his senses, telling Ryo to 'Find the karate dojo at the harbor, where an invincible fighter awaits.' Ryo arrives to find a martial artist wearing a Tengu mask—the man later known as Mr. Karate. Ryo defeats the mysterious fighter and reunites with Yuri. She leaves him with the line, 'That person is our...', and that’s the final line of the first game. What a cliffhanger!

The mystery is cleared up in Art of Fighting 2. The Tengu mask wearer was Takuma Sakazaki. Geese Howard had tried to recruit the Kyokugenryu school for his empire, leading Mr. Big to kidnap Yuri as a preemptive strike. Naturally, this led to a showdown between Ryo and Geese Howard, who wanted to make him a subordinate.

The greatest legacy of the first Art of Fighting is undoubtedly Ryo's iconic scene: 'If the opponent has a weapon, I have no choice but to use the Haoh Shokoken!' The screenshot of this moment became a legendary meme. The line is supposed to sound heroic, but the visual of a young man with blonde hair, an orange gi, and wooden clogs (geta) muttering this while riding a motorcycle sent players into fits of laughter.

It's so popular that even KOF references it. My personal favourite is in KOF XIII: when Ryo defeats the cyborg Maxima, he says, 'If the opponent is equipped with heavy weaponry, I have no choice but to use the Haoh Shokoken!' SNK clearly loves the joke.

There is never a quiet year for Kyokugenryu

Time rolls on to 1994, and Ryo Sakazaki enters The King of Fighters '94. The series was originally a crossover of SNK titles like Art of Fighting, Fatal Fury, Ikari Warriors, and Psycho Soldier. The team name sounds familiar? That's right. As the eldest son of the Kyokugenryu school, Ryo is the permanent team leader.

His treatment in the series is a bit nuanced. KOF teams are often split into those that affect the main canon and those that serve as comic relief. Ryo's Art of Fighting team falls into the latter category.

The core themes for Ryo's team are 'poverty' and 'dysfunctional family dynamics'. The dojo's financial ruin is a recurring gag. It peaked in KOF 2001, where Robert's family business was in crisis due to NESTS. The team entered for the prize money to save the business. Even then, Ryo made Robert pay for all travel and lodging. While the prize money saved the day, Takuma made a callous comment about saving the business for the sake of money, sparking Robert's rage. How Robert stays loyal is a mystery.

As for the 'dysfunctional' part, Yuri is a constant 'transfer portal' user, switching teams frequently. Takuma usually fills the gap, much to the annoyance of Ryo and Robert. In KOF 2003, when Takuma mentioned he might sit out, the two brightened up and accepted immediately, resulting in Takuma taking a one-game hiatus.

From KOF XI, things get complicated. After Takuma was hospitalized and Robert sat out for family business, King was brought into the 'Ryo-Yuri-King' team. It was a setup by the Sakazaki family to hook Ryo and King up. King was interested, but Ryo's oblivious nature led to an explosive ending. At least the romantic wheels are turning, so let's call it a win.

In KOF XIV, Ryo's frustration peaks because their yakiniku restaurant is too successful. He worries that prioritizing business over training undermines their identity as martial artists. Fortunately, Ryo eventually awakens as Mr. Karate II, sets things straight, and whips the team back into shape—leaving some poor apprentice to run the shop.

Everyone, shout it together! Jeonbuk! Iksan!

While his dramatic life is fun, a fighting game character's popularity comes down to in-game performance. Most of Ryo's memes are rooted in his gameplay—including the Haoh Shokoken meme.

Let's touch on the domestic memes from the KOF series. First, the 'Ryo with Geta' from '98, born from his victory animation where he takes off his wooden clogs. Goro Daimon, a top-tier 'ICHIGOK' character, fights in clogs. Fans logically deduced that if Ryo didn't take his off, he'd be an S-tier monster. How do they come up with this stuff? If 'Ryo with Geta' appears in The King of Fighters AFK, it would be a hit.

The special move 'Kohou' (Ice Pillar Breaker) is also famous. A user's guide for KOF 2002 on a community site described it as: 'It's an overhead. It's slow and reactable. So, just make it unreactable.' That logic had everyone in stitches and became a staple.

The most popular is undoubtedly his super move from KOF 97, the Tenchi Haoh Ken, affectionately (?) dubbed 'Jeonbuk Iksan'. It's a precisely aimed punch. Originally a low-damage, unpopular move, it became a 'man's romance' tech in '98 due to massive counter-hit damage. The line 'Ichigeki! Hissatsu!' (One strike, certain death!) sounds remarkably like 'Jeonbuk! Iksan!' to Korean ears.

There are other gems like 'Armpit Scan' or 'Aosopogen' due to misheard lyrics (mondegreens). I recommend shouting the lines yourself while playing The King of Fighters AFK. You'll enjoy the game 200% more. Of course, KookminTree takes no responsibility for any embarrassment caused if someone catches you.

Give us Haoh Shokoken in The King of Fighters AFK, I'm getting dizzy!

Finally, let's check out Ryo in The King of Fighters AFK. He is based on his KOF XV iteration. Active skills include the Kooh Ken and the anti-air Koho. Although the Koho has short range, it's treated as a projectile-style active skill. His finisher is the Tenchi Haoh Ken. It seems they decided against giving the Haoh Shokoken to every Kyokugenryu character to preserve unique identities.

The key to Tenchi Haoh Ken is that it's a projectile-type skill. In The King of Fighters AFK, skill types determine if they can be countered or dodged, and projectile skills are uncounterable. Considering Tenchi Haoh Ken is a move that shines when reading the enemy and landing a counter, this design choice makes perfect sense.

The 'Haste' effect maximizes the romance of the Tenchi Haoh Ken. Ryo's attack power increases by up to 30% based on his missing HP—the more cornered he is, the deadlier he becomes. Add the 2nd-tier bonus of 20% increased accuracy, and you're ready for the perfect strike. Just don't forget to shout the line: Jeonbuk! Iksan!